Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo traded to New York Yankees in six-player deal

Joey Gallo got a chance to say a final goodbye Tuesday night with a home run and postgame interview.

Less than 24 hours later, the Texas Rangers traded the outfield slugger to the New York Yankees.

The Rangers made a formal announcement of the trade on Thursday morning. Gallo, left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez and cash considerations goes to New York, while Texas gets back four players; infielders Josh Smith, Trevor Hauver and Ezequiel Duran; and right-handed pitcher Glenn Otto.

“If this is my last time, thank you to the Rangers fans, you’ve guys have been great to me,” Gallo said to Emily Jones on the Bally’s postgame show following a 5-4 win on Tuesday. “Hopefully we can make more memories but I don’t want to miss an opportunity to say thank you to everybody.”

Gallo was scratched just before Wednesday’s home game with Arizona for “non-medical reasons.”

Along with homer on Tuesday night, Gallo also recorded his ninth assist of the season, and sixth in his last 10 games, during the first inning. Offensively, his Rangers’ line for the season was a batting average of .223 with 25 home runs and 55 RBI.

The Rangers drafted Gallo with the 39th overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft. He had spent the past seven seasons in Arlington, batting .211 with 145 home runs, 385 hits and 317 RBI.

Gallo hit 41 and 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018 with a combined 197 hits, 42 doubles and 172 RBI in that span.

He took part in this year’s Home Run Derby on July 12 during All-Star weekend in Denver and he was selected to the second All-Star Game of his career. He also played in the 2019 Midsummer Classic.

Also packaged with Gallo was Rodriguez, who is 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA and one save in 31 appearances this season.

The Rangers’ pickups include Otto, who is 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings this season in the minor league. Smith, Hauver and Duran have combined for 30 home runs and 121 RBI while splitting time in Double-A and Triple-A.

Rangers fall to Diamondbacks 3-2

Daulton Varsho’s solo home run in the top of the eighth inning spoiled the Rangers’ chances at back-to-back wins on Wednesday night at Globe Life Field.

Rangers starter Jordan Lyles (5-7) had a strong outing, allowing two earned runs on two hits in seven innings. He struck out six batters, but gave up the game-tying run in the seventh on an RBI sacrifice fly from Andrew Young.

David Peralta hit his fifth home run this season when he took a Lyles’ pitch deep in the second inning that gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead.

Texas (36-66) got to Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner in the fourth inning as the first three batters reached base safely. Adolis Garcia led off with a double to left center and scored on a Nathaniel Lowe RBI single.

Andy Ibanez doubled off the right-field wall to put two runners in scoring position and two batters later, the Rangers grabbed a 2-1 lead when Lowe scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Charlie Culberson.

Bumgarner (5-6) allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out four batters in seven innings for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 32-71.

The Rangers will continue their nine-game home stand when they begin a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Friday.